Shooting suspect released

Two police officers kept watch Thursday as tenants emptied a Penticton townhouse unit tied to a fatal shooting 24 hours earlier.

Police have not released the name of the victim, who died outside the townhouse complex at 998 Creston Ave.

The alleged shooter’s name has not been released yet, either, as he was released from custody without charges, according to Penticton RCMP spokesman Cpl. Don Wrigglesworth, who wouldn’t rule out the possibility of the suspect facing charges later.

“This was an isolated event and not a random act as both parties were known to each other. We do not feel the public is at risk,” Wrigglesworth said Thursday.

“All of our police resources remain engaged in this ongoing investigation.”

Those resources include regular members of the Penticton RCMP detachment and officers in four specialized units, who are still interviewing witnesses and collecting evidence.

Anyone with information that can assist police is asked to call Const. Mike Desmond at 250-492-4300.

Police have not confirmed any details of the incident, but Christian Klausen, who witnessed the shooting, told reporters the victim had been banging on residents’ doors, when the gunman opened his door and shot the victim in the stomach.

Klausen spent Thursday morning packing his possessions into a car as he prepared to move out of the building.

Nearby, the two Mounties kept watch over a growing pile of items, such as bikes, boxes and housewares, coming out of the unit from which the gunman appeared.

There were no visible signs left of the incident, except for what appeared to be small streaks of dried blood on the shooter’s door.